Blake Shelton's haunting story song "God's Country" currently sits atop Billboard's Country Airplay chart, making it Devin Dawson's first No. 1 as a songwriter. To celebrate, Dawson -- who co-wrote the track alongside Hardy and Jordan Schmidt -- stripped the song down to its bitter roots and recorded his own acoustic version.

Despite its dim tone, Shelton's hit celebrates a simple, rural lifestyle. As usually happens when songwriters perform bare-bones versions of radio hits, the lyrics shine brighter when separated from the modern production techniques and Shelton's gritty rock vibe.

Dawson's music video doubles down on rural imagery, as it shows the rising artist communing with nature down by the creek -- the sort of hideaway in the woods found in the rural places championed in the song. Plus, the black-and-white clip adds to the Southern Gothic feel associated with Shelton's hit recording.

Dawson's version of "God's Country" isn't the only stripped-down version of the song debuting this week: Shelton released his own acoustic rendition of his 26th No. 1 hit of his career. He's also enjoying the success of "Dive Bar," a brand-new duet with fellow Oklahoman Garth Brooks. The pair will officially debut the song on Friday night (July 19), at Brooks' Stadium Tour stop in Boise, Idaho.